Gardening Videos- Pruning Wisteria

Do you grow Wisterias?

Don't you agree that when a wisteria is flowering, it is a wonderful sight to behold? Most Wisterias are grown against walls, fences or over loggias. To ensure that your Wisteria gives of its best, when flowering, you need to prune it twice a year.

The main pruning should take place a couple of months after the plant has finished flowering. In the northern hemisphere this will be in July.

Since flowering, the plant will have made rapid growth, throwing out long stems of quite sappy wood, which can extend as much as six feet (180 cm).

These whippy growths should be cut back to about nine inches (23 cm). You can use the span of your hand to measure this . Then pick the next point at which the stem throws up a new leaf and cut the branch off cleanly just ahead of this. You should then be left with a branch with between four and six leaves. Tie these shortened branches into the supporting material, so a good horizontal framework is formed. 

Trimming back all this chaotic growth will allow more air and sunlight to get at this new wood and bring it to maturity in time for next season's flowers.

About two months before the wisteria is due to flower, you should lightly trim back some of the growth it has made since your last pruning. This time, reduce the overall length of the branches to about 12 inches (30 cm).